Photographic copy board



March 20, 1951 J. D. MAXWELL 2,545,964 PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY BOARD Filed May7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

7% JOHN D. MAXWELL TTORNEYS March 20, 1951 J. D. MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHICCOPY BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1949 2 Tabs 1 w a 1M 0 9 W w x7 MW. X111 wmwm It VIII/IA INVENTOR. JOHN D. MAXWELL 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 20, 1951 PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY BOARD John D. Maxwell, GlenHead, N. Y., assignor to Powers Photo Engraving Company, Glen Cove, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application May 7, 1949, Serial N 0.92,029

3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to copy boards for photoengraving and othercameras.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described. Theaccompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing anillustrative and preferred form of a copyboard for use withphotoengraving cameras;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section as viewed along the line 22 ofFigure 1 and showing the copy board in open or loading position;

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the cover glass closed but the copyboard in non-printing position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 4 ofFigure 2 and showing portions of the cover frame latching mechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 5-5 ofFigure 3 and showing the latching means which, when released by openingthe cover frame, locks the copy board in its horizontal or loadingposition.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel andimproved copy board for holding relatively large copy and which isparticularly useful in connection with photoengraving andphotomechanical cameras. A further object is the provision of a copyboard which permits the use of masking devices which may be larger inone or more dimensions than the copy board itself or the use of maskingdevices in such positions that a portion of the mask may project outsideof the margins of the copy board. v Another object is the provision ofmeans to insure that certain steps in the operation of the board canonly be performed under conditions and at such a time as to eliminatepossible damage to the board.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred and illustrativeembodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, apair of supporting frames H! are provided, one at either side of thestructure, and interconnected by a. plurality of rigid tie rods I2.Frames It may form part of additional structure (not shown) forsupporting a camera for use in conjunction with the invention or may beformed as a simple base structure for floor use. Each frame I5 isprovided with a substantially horizontal reach 14 and legs [6 and H3.The copy board is pivo-tally connected to each frame I!) at the framecorner where leg I 3 and reach l4 join and is adapted to be swungbetween a horizontal or loading position and a vertical or exposureposition. Such a provision may comprise a pair of trunnion pins 25 fixedin and extending laterally in opposite directions from a pair of anglebrackets 22 which are secured, one at either side, on the underside ofthe copy board. Each trunnion pin 20 is journalled in a bearing recess24 in each frame 10 and removably held therein by a retaining plate 26.

The copy board itself comprises a copy frame 28 and an overlying,transparent, cover frame 30 which is hinged to the copy frame so that itmay be opened to give access to the upper surface of the copy frame forloading and arranging the subject material to be copied.

The cover frame 39 consists of a fiat, transparent glass sheet 32mounted in a surrounding metal frame 34. Hinge arms 36 are provided, oneat each of the two rear corners (right in Figure 2) of the frame 34,and. project a substantial distance beyond the rear side which connectsthese corners. Cooperating hinge arms 38 are secured to correspondingcorners of the copy frame 28 and are pivotally connected to arms 36 byhinge pins 4a. A handle 42 may be attached to the front side of frame 34to assist in opening the copy board for loading or unloading.

It will be noted from a study of Figures 2 and 3 that the constructionof the hinges is such as to leave the entire rear margin and adjacentsides of the copy board free of any obstructions in the plane of thework surface whether the cover frame 38 is open or closed. Thus, masksor other portions of work not to be photographed do not need to betrimmed to board size but may project beyond the margins thereof.

The copy frame 28 consists of a rigid, fiat sheet or baseboard 44 of thedesired size covered on one face with a pad 46 of sponge rubber or otherresilient material on which the subject matter to be copied may bearranged when the copy board is in a horizontal position and the coverframe 3E! is open, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The baseboard 44 may besupported in a framework comprised of a front channel member 48, rearchannel E] and adjoining side channels 5| and 52. The copy boardtrunnion brackets 22, previously referred to, are secured to theunderside (assuming the board to be in a horizontal position) of thefront and rear channel members 48 and 56 at substantially theirmidsection.

Spring means are provided for actuating and counter-balancing the coverframe as so that when the copy board is in the horizontal position andthe cover frame is unlocked from its closed condition the latter willautomatically and gently open a desired amount and stay open withoutadditional support until the operator has arranged the subject matter tohis satisfaction .on the pad after which the cover frame may be loweredwith little effort and automatically locked closed. As embodied, eachhinge arm 36 on the cover frame 38 is provided with a depending leg 5substantially at a right angle thereto, each of these legs 5 beinginterconnected to the other by a tie rod 56. Legs 53 are so proportionedthat the tie rod 56 is spaced from and parallel to the rear channelmember 55} and lies below the workin surface of the copy frame 28 so asnot to interfere with subject matter which might extend beyond the rearside of the copy frame. Tension springs 58 are provided one of which isconcealed within each side channel 5%, 52 and anchored at one endthereto by a bracket Gil, the free ends being attached to hooks E52which extend through suitable apertures in rear channel 50 and hook overthe tie rod 55 at a point adjacent to each leg 5%. Thus, springs 58serve to open cover frame 30 by rocking it about hinge pins 48, and theextent to which it is raised above the copy frame 28 without manualassistance is determined by the strength of the springs 58. Furtheropening may of course be attained by manual effort.

When the copy board is in its horizontal loading position and the coverframe til raised, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is highly desirablethat this horizontal position be positively maintained so that if anoperator rested his weight on the side of the copy board removed fromthe supporting frames it the board would not swing about the trunnions2i! and spill the work and operator on the floor. It is also desirablethat means to maintain the copy board in the loading position may beautomatically released as soon as the cover frame is closed so that itmay be swung to its vertical or exposure position. As embodied, a springlatch is provided on the front supporting frame it and comprises anangle bracket 6 secured on the top reach M of frame Hi, to which anupstanding leaf spring 86 is fixed. A latch member 61 is attached to theupper end of leaf spring 65 and is provided with a locking shoulder 63adapted to engage the upper edge of side channel '52 when the coverframe 30 is raised, and a cam surface 69 adapted to be en gaged by theside of cover frame 3t when the latter is closed thereby disengaginglocking shoulder 68 from channel member 52. Figure 1 shows latch member67 engaging copy frame 28 and Figure 5 shows cover frame 3!] closed andthe latch disengaged from the copy frame.

Provision is made for locking the cover frame 30 in its closed positionmerely by pressing it into that position. As embodied, a latch finger itis slidably mounted in a filler block H, which is welded or otherwisesecured in the front end of copy frame side channel 5i, and projectsoutwardly through a suitable aperture in the channel. A cooperatinglatch bracket 12 is fixed on the corresponding front corner of the coverframe so and may be formed of angle stock so as to embrace and stiffenthe metal frame 34 at that point. One flange of the angular latchbracket '?2 is extended and provided with an aperture 13 into whichlatch finger Ill may project when the cover frame is closed. A similarlatch finger I4 and latch bracket 15 are provided on the opposite frontcorners of copy frame 23 and cover frame 30 respectively.

Latch fingers "iii and M may be interconnected for simultaneous butopposite motion with respect to each other and provided with meanscommon to both for manually withdrawing them from their respective latchbrackets 12 and 15 to thereby unlock cover frame 3f! from copy frame 28to permit opening. As shown, an actuating disc '56, mounted inside ofthe front channel 48, is fixed on a shaft El, which is journalled at asubstantially central point in the web of the channel, and asupplemental bracket 18 secured on the projecting upper surface of theadjacent trunnion bracket 22. One end of a link 79 is attached to theface of disc it, near its periphery, by a pivot pin 89 and is connectedat its other end to the inner end of the latch finger in by a pivot pin8!. A similar link 82 is attached at one end to disc it by a pivot pin83 at a point diametrically opposite. to pivot 30 and pivotally securedat its other end to the latch finger i4. Thus, rotation of disc '16serves to move latch fingers l0 and 14 simultaneously but in oppositedirections. Latch fingers and M are normally maintained in the lockingor outer position by a tension spring 84 which may be anchored at oneend to filler block if and at the other end to a plate 85 secured at amidpoint on link 79. Spring 84 acts on both latch fingers through themedium of the disc IS.

The actuating disc it may be manually operated to unlock the closedcover frame 30 by a handle 86 fixed on the outwardly projecting end ofdisc shaft H.

In accordance with one object of the invention means are provided toprevent the clockwise rotation of disc it (as viewed in Figure 4), andhence the accidental unlocking of the closed cover frame 39, in anyposition of the copy board ex.- cept the horizontal. As embodied, thehub of disc '56 has a stop bar El secured thereto and extendinglaterally to a position adjacent to an arm 88 of a bell crank which ispivoted on the inner side of the front channel 48 by a stub shaft 89.The other arm 96 of the bell crank overlies an aperture formed in thelower flange of channel 48. A compression spring 92, interposed betweenthe bell crank arm 88 and an abutment bracket 93 on channel 4.8 servesto normally hold arm 99 against the channel flange and places the arm 88in the possible path of travel of the disc stop bar 8'3. Thus, with thebell crank arms in the position just described the disc 73 cannot berotated and the latch fingers if! and M cannot be withdrawn from thelatch brackets 72 and T5 to permit opening of the copy board. However,when the copy board is in the horizontal position it is necessary thatdisc 16 is free to be rotated by handle 86 and so unlock the cover framefrom the copy frame. To this end means may be provided for automaticallyshifting the position of bell crank arm 83 out of the path of 75 stopbar 87 and thus free disc '16 for rotation.

As embodied, a release member 94 may be mounted on the front frame 59adjacent to the trunnion and adapted to project through aperture 91 inthe front channel 48 when the copy board reaches its horizontalposition. Bell crank arm 99, which overlies aperture 91, is engaged bythe release member 94 whereby the bell crank is swung clockwise (asshown in Figure 1) and moves out of the path of arm 88 thereby freeingdisc 16 for its unlocking operation.

Shock absorbing means may be provided to pre-- vent damage to the copyboard as it is swung to either its vertical or horizontal position ofrest. For the horizontal position a pair of compression springs 95,suitably proportioned and secured on studs, are provided and fixed, oneon each support frame it, in such position as to be engaged by thecorners of the copy frame 29 just prior to the time it reaches its finalhorizontal position. Trunnion brackets 22 may be placed slightly to theleft of the center of the copy board (as viewed in Figure 1) so that theunbalanced Weight of the board to the right of the tr'unnions serves tocompress springs 95 suificiently to bring the copy frame side channel 52into proper horizontal position to be engaged by the spring latch member6! when the cover frame 30 is opened. The resilient stop for thevertical position of the copy board may comprise one or more springbuttons 9! mounted in the leg or legs I 6 of frames ill in such positionas to be engaged by the copy frame 28 just prior to its reaching avertical position. A shoulder on the spring button 91 is adapted to seatagainst frame leg I as the weight of the copy board compresses thebutton spring 98 and thereby insures, in a positive manner, that theboard is in a true vertical position or is normal to the lens axis of acamera used in conjunction with the copy board.

It will be noted that the invention in the form shown and describedherein provides a copy board on which the hinges and locking andlatching devices are so arranged and constructed that substantially theentire marginal portion of the board is unobstructed when the coverframe is closed, permitting the use of masks or subject material whichmight otherwise have to be trimmed to fit them into the copy board.

Safe and proper operation of the copy board is also insured in that thecover frame 30 may only be opened when the board is in its horizontal orloading position and, in addition, the board, when in the loadingposition with the cover open, cannot, in the ordinary course ofprocedure, be swung away from the horizontal as it is so held by thespring latch member 61.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What is claimed is:

,1. In a copyboard having a back, a frame hinged thereto and atransparent cover for the back, said back and frame being pivotallymounted for movement from a horizontal to a vertical position, thecombination of locking means securing the frame to the back and meansnormally preventing unlocking of the locking means while the back andframe are in vertical position and means brought into contact with andmoving the means preventing unlocking on movement of the frame tohorizontal position for permitting unlocking in horizontal position.

2. A copyboard according to claim 1 in which the locking means comprisesa rotatable member mounted on the back and a pair of push rods movedthereby cooperating with members, carried by the frame and the unlockingpreventing means comprises a pivotally mounted member on the backingmember movable into and out of engagement with the rotatable member.

3. A copyboard according to claim 2 in which resilient members on theframe cooperate With the push rods and permit locking of the frame inany position of the backing member.

JOHN D. MAXWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,209,419 Farquhar Dec. 19, 19161,401,902 Fruwirth Dec. 27, 1921 1,834,897 Caps Dec. 1, 1931 2,420,023Wekeman May 6, 1947 2,512,182 Sussin June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 863,452 France Jan. 2, 1941

